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Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Stuffed Jalapeños

Let's talk about jalapeños for a minute. And cream cheese. And bacon...interested? Great. I know you're probably saying, gosh I just cleaned the grill from the 4th, but consider this an early recipe for next weekend. Although these are so simple you could easily make them any night of the week.

Here's what you need:

jalapeños, cream cheese, bacon, and toothpicks.

Begin by laying out strips of bacon on a plate. Microwave until they are about 1/2 cooked, 1-2 minutes depending on your microwave settings. (watch them if you are unsure). They should still be pretty pliable and easy to wrap around a jalapeño.

While microwaving the bacon in batches, prepare the jalapeños. Remove the stems and slice in half. Remove all of the seeds and membrane.

Spoon in the cream cheese, about a tablespoon full depending on the size of the peppers.

Wrap each with a strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick.

Grill for 5-10 minutes on a medium-high heat, until the peppers are soft and the cheese is set.

Thats it! Pretty basic, right? Although there are a couple of steps that are key:Jalapeños: pick the biggest ones you can find, they will be more mild and hold more filling than the smaller, skinny peppersBacon: Precooking in the microwave prevents flare ups on the grill from excess grease that leads to overcooked bacon and under cooked peppers.

Next time I may try blending the cream cheese with a chipotle pepper to give it some added heat and flavor. Give these a try, they are super simple and so delicious!

Begin by laying out strips of bacon on a plate. Microwave until they are about 1/2 cooked, 1-2 minutes depending on your microwave settings. (watch them if you are unsure). They should still be pretty pliable and easy to wrap around a jalapeño.While microwaving the bacon in batches, prepare the jalapeños. Remove the stems and slice in half. Remove all of the seeds and membrane.Spoon in the cream cheese, about a tablespoon full depending on the size of the peppers.Wrap each with a strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick.Grill for 5-10 minutes on a medium-high heat, until the peppers are soft and the cheese is set.